A Faith in Action Agency in Ojai, CA Presents Highly Successful Caregiver Classes in Both English and Spanish

Help of Ojai is a 35-year old multi-purpose community agency in the picturesque southern California town of Ojai. A Faith in Action program with a long history of working with church and community leaders, Help of Ojai’s programs include Meals on Wheels, transportation services, a hospice, an adult day care program and senior center.

In 2002, Help of Ojai’s development director Lisa Meeker applied for funds from Ventura County Area Agency on Aging to start a caregiver program, and her proposal was accepted. “The first caregiver course we offered was so successful that we just kept adding classes.” Now 2 years later, Help of Ojai presents 8 highly successful caregiver courses annually, 4 in English and 4 in Spanish.

“When we began this program, we wanted to train friends and family so that they could provide respite for caregivers,” Ms. Meeker said. “We wanted a turnkey product, and that’s why we chose the National Caregiver Training Program,” she continued.

“What was surprising right from the beginning is how our idea of who would register for the classes differed from who actually showed up. Our focus was on friends and family of caregivers, but we found that the caregivers themselves wanted to take the course. They recognized the need for skills training,” Meeker explained. “Also, people who were already working in the caregiving field as personal care aides also came to the classes.”

When asked what has made the Help of Ojai program so successful, Ms. Meeker said, “We are a multi-service agency, and we think talking across our programs is important to a program’s success. Of course, good instructors are important, too. We advertised the caregiver course on cable TV and we also talked with staff at local hospitals about it,” she noted. “Then we found that the program was growing from word of mouth. The participants were excited about it, and they talked it up,” she added.

In May 2003, Help of Ojai began offering the National Caregiver Training Program in Spanish. So far, the agency has offered 6 Spanish language courses, graduating 89 students.

“We had no idea when we began how successful these classes would be,” said Carmen Seligman, Help of Ojai’s Outreach Coordinator to the Latino community. “I promoted the program at first by going onto the Spanish-language stations in Ventura and Oxnard. We did a lot of advertising through churches, too. There is so much interest, not only in Ojai, but in outlying areas. We’ve had people come to the class from Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks,” Ms. Seligman said.

“Many of our students have a 2nd-grade literacy level. Some of them haven’t read a book in years. Many students are already working in nursing homes and day care centers, where they assist LPNs,” Ms. Seligman continued. “Sometimes they have received only one hour of training on the job, or no training. Taking our classes helps these ladies to learn more skills and be more effective on the job. And there have been cases where having the class certificate has allowed graduates to obtain pay raises, too. Two of our graduates went on to become CNAs,” she said.

“Our classes are really popular. Our next two classes are already booked up,” she continued. “Taking a class is a big deal for some of our students. I had one student who was hesitating at the last minute about taking the class, but her little children told her, “Mommy, go to school! You are going to have fun in school. She did, too,” Ms. Seligman said.

When a person calls to express interest, Carmen follows up by phone, talking with them about what they can expect to learn in the class. “I want them to know that this is something valuable and important, “ she noted. Then, she sends the prospective student a letter describing the class in more detail, and giving more information on what to expect. “I think this kind of follow-up is important,” she stated.

Graduation ceremonies for students in the Spanish-language classes are festive. Graduates dress up and arrive with family members and food for a potluck feast that follows the ceremony. “For many of the participants, the class is a transformative experience,” Lisa Meeker noted. “The special graduation allows them to celebrate that.”

For more information on Help of Ojai’s caregiver program, visit www.helpofojai.org.